Great, no problem. Let’s move on…unless, like most men who weren’t in the military, you’ve never heard of a gig line.

When learning how to dress well, it’s easy to envythat clean, classy, attractive look men who have served can pull off, but most guys just assume it’s something about the training and experience. In fact, a huge part of that look is simply getting the gig line right.

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What Is A Gig Line?

One of the wonders of the gig line is that it is incredibly simple, and yet, most of us just have’t been paying attention enough to make sure we’re pulling it off.

The gig line is the straight line that should run from your top collar button on your shirt all the way down to the middle of your belt buckle, and then a little bit further to your fly.

We told you it was simple. When the seam of your shirt, your belt buckle, and the seam of your fly all line up, you immediately look more respectable, and more worthy of a bit of extra attention. The gig line suggests discipline, sharpness, and strength. That’s why the military loves it, and it’s why, subconsciously, most women love it, too.

Why Is The Gig Line So Important?

via: Unsplash / Nigel Tadyanehondo

Have you ever looked in the mirror, felt like you looked sloppy, but couldn’t put your finger on it? The shirt is ironed, the pants are ironed, the belt is new, and yet…something’s off?

There’s a very good chance that the whole problem was that your gig line was off. On some level, it doesn’t matter if your gig line is off by a fraction of an inch or by half a foot, the resulting subconscious impression you give off is the same: this guy is a mess.

In fact, the slight misalignment may be far worse. At least if your lines are way off, you can pretend it’s intentional. When your shirt just doesn’t quite meet the middle of your belt buckle, or your fly somehow drifts a bit off to the side, you just look like you can’t be bothered to try hard enough to look good.

And that look is never going to impress most women. Or most dudes.

How To Follow The Gig Line

via: Unsplash / Laurenz Kleinheider

Alright, the gig line is the secret to pulling off that clean, classy look that women love in military men. But how are you going to pull it off? Likely as not, you’ve tried to get the lines right on your outfits, only to walk out the door and find you’re a mess all over again.

Not to fear, we’ve got all the steps you need to follow to pull off the gig line like you’ve been doing it for years, even if you’re trying it out for the first time.

Here is how to follow the gig line:

1. Buy some classy clothes

via: Bigstockphoto / Tzido

There’s really no point trying to pull off a gig line when you’re wearing a wrinkled, old hoodie that covers your belt and fly. To really get any use out of this advice, you need the clothes that really make this style look good.

So, invest some money in a suit, some dress shirts, and some extra dress pants. If you have the clothes and you follow the other steps, you’ll immediately look a thousand times more impressive than you do in that hoodie.

2. Get friendly with an iron

via: Unsplash / Filip Mroz

One of the regrettable failures of modern mantelligence is the loss of the ability to use an iron. A lot of the classic classy look that men want to pull off and always fail at is just a combination of using an iron and a bit of step 2 (more on that in a moment).

If you’ve try to get your clothes to fall into a gig line and failed, it may be that you just aren’t ironing them...or not ironing them properly. So, pull out the ironing board, plug the iron in, and get really familiar with that marvelous invention.

With a bit of steam, some water, and some practice, your clothes will magically lay just how you want them every time you put them on.

3. Work on your posture

via: Unsplash / Brooke Cagle

All those straight lines aren’t going to do you any good if you slouch around everywhere. The gig line is meant to really show off impressive posture. If you’re standing tall, the gig line makes you look taller, stronger, and more in control. If you’re slouching, no one is going to notice if your shirt and fly line up.

This is perhaps the hardest step because most of us have never been taught to stand and sit properly. It’ll take some extra effort for a little while, regularly reminding yourself to straighten up, but once you have it down, it’ll become subconscious, and you’ll really be able to pull of this look.

4. Spend a little extra time in the mirror

via: Unsplash / Spencer Davis

If you have the clothes, the ironing technique, and the posture, all that you really need is to stand in front of a mirror for an extra few seconds and make sure everything is lined up properly.

Instead of dashing out of the house at the last second, give yourself a few minutes to get the gig line right. Then, walk around for a bit, sit down, really get comfortable in your clothes, and check again to make sure you’re still all lined up.

5. Grab a yard stick

via: Unsplash / Christian Kaindl

Hey, maybe you’re worried that your eyes are crooked and your gig line will be off by a millimeter. No need to worry on that point. If you aren’t 100% positive you’ve got the line right, pull out a yard stick and double check.

Unless you’ve somehow bent the yard stick, it’ll give you a clear indication if your gig line is right.

More Tips How To Dress Well

Pulling off a perfect gig line isn’t the end of your sartorial education. We’ve got plenty more tips to dressing well. Just check out these awesome articles for more?

Make sure your coif is up to date by checking out the hairstyles for men that make you look great.

In Conclusion

When it comes down to it, the gig line is really indicative of most advice on how to dress well: it’s simple and easy to pull off, you just have to know how to do it.

The great thing about style tricks that make you attractive to women is that you don’t have to transform your life to make this work, you just have to put in that extra bit of effort in just the right area. Style tips and rules every man should know like this aren’t hidden knowledge—the entire U.S. armed forces know it—they just don’t come up for most guys when they’re learning how to dress.

Now that you know, you can line up your gig just right, and start impressing everyone from the girls at the bar to the boss in the office.

About The Author

Sam is dating coach, life coach, and style expert. His expertise has been featured on Lifehack.org, Apartment Therapy, Wisebread, Best Life Online, and Up Journey. He lives with his Australian Shepard, Max, in beautiful Los Angeles, and on weekends, loves playing beach volleyball.